But what about the babies?!?!

Everyone keeps saying that they didn't have any side effects from the H1N1 vaccine..but what about your unborn baby?No studies have been done on the babies born to women who received the H1N1 vaccine. Which I seriously find scary!Google the ingredients.

I had the regular flu in May '05, my husband, MIL, husband's aunt, and cousin all came down with it. I was 18 weeks pregnant with my first son then. I was up and about and feeling 100% long before my MIL (who had it first) and my husband's aunt.

I realize the H1N1 is different. But making it and sending it out has happened real fast. By the time their is enough for everyone to receive the vaccine...the virus may have mutated.

Everyone keeps saying that they didn't have any side effects from the H1N1 vaccine..but what about your unborn baby?No studies have been done on the babies born to women who received the H1N1 vaccine. Which I seriously find scary!Google the ingredients.

I had the regular flu in May '05, my husband, MIL, husband's aunt, and cousin all came down with it. I was 18 weeks pregnant with my first son then. I was up and about and feeling 100% long before my MIL (who had it first) and my husband's aunt.

I realize the H1N1 is different. But making it and sending it out has happened real fast. By the time their is enough for everyone to receive the vaccine...the virus may have mutated.

I hear you. Sometimes I think I'd just like to bubble us off, but certainly that has its drawbacks as well. ;)

I just try to take precautions wherever possile. My DD is very healthy, she gets a good bit of exercise in her day and eats healthy, but just like her dad, is long and lean. Meaning that while she is healthy - 75% in height, she is only 12% in weight with a BMI of only 5%. The drs give her a prescription for milkshakes and stuff :) but it really doesn't cause her to put on weight. All this is fine as long as she doesn't get really sick with a flu, otherwise she has a higher likelihood of ending up needing an IV. For this reason, I always get her the flu shot, she hasn't had the flu since getting the shot (btw, she is in kindergarten now and is exposed to a much higher amount of germs). So, I do it to protect my DD from the severity of impact that the flu would have on her, not just b/c the media is telling me to.

I hear you. Sometimes I think I'd just like to bubble us off, but certainly that has its drawbacks as well. ;)

I just try to take precautions wherever possile. My DD is very healthy, she gets a good bit of exercise in her day and eats healthy, but just like her dad, is long and lean. Meaning that while she is healthy - 75% in height, she is only 12% in weight with a BMI of only 5%. The drs give her a prescription for milkshakes and stuff :) but it really doesn't cause her to put on weight. All this is fine as long as she doesn't get really sick with a flu, otherwise she has a higher likelihood of ending up needing an IV. For this reason, I always get her the flu shot, she hasn't had the flu since getting the shot (btw, she is in kindergarten now and is exposed to a much higher amount of germs). So, I do it to protect my DD from the severity of impact that the flu would have on her, not just b/c the media is telling me to.

I just got my shot today for the simple fact my daughter may have H1N1 and was tested today. The dose they give you is an inactivated flu and you do not get the virus from the shot, only from exposure. It also will help the baby after birth. I have 3 kids that are all older and in school all exposed daily and I would not want to lose my new baby due to the virus, it scares me either way! It has the same stuff in it that the regular flu shot has, there is just an extra ingredient in it to cover the H1N1 part. I worked at a Dr's office as a medical assistant for quite sometime and have not contracted flu at any time even without the flu shot, but since my immunity is not that great anymore, i thought it would be a good idea. Hope this helps any decision no matter what it might be.

I just got my shot today for the simple fact my daughter may have H1N1 and was tested today. The dose they give you is an inactivated flu and you do not get the virus from the shot, only from exposure. It also will help the baby after birth. I have 3 kids that are all older and in school all exposed daily and I would not want to lose my new baby due to the virus, it scares me either way! It has the same stuff in it that the regular flu shot has, there is just an extra ingredient in it to cover the H1N1 part. I worked at a Dr's office as a medical assistant for quite sometime and have not contracted flu at any time even without the flu shot, but since my immunity is not that great anymore, i thought it would be a good idea. Hope this helps any decision no matter what it might be.

I'm from the April boards and I'm also 34yo, so I figured I'd check out this board too.

Anyways, I just wanted to comment briefly on your question about why the flu vaccine isn't given to infants under 6mos old. My dad's a pharmacist and I asked him this same exact question, because I was like "if it's not ok for a baby less than 6mos to get it, how is it ok for an unborn baby to get it?" His response is that it has to do with the baby's immune system not being well developed outside the womb until the baby is around 6mos old. I think that's why they give other vaccines in series when they're 2mos old, 4mos, etc. Anyways, from how I understood what he told me, their immune systems aren't developed enough for their bodies to build antibodies well to a vaccine until then. When they're in the uterus, somehow the mother's able to pass the antibodies that her body makes on to the baby. Hope that made sense. It's kind of late here & I need to go back to bed. :)

- Bridget

Hi,

I'm from the April boards and I'm also 34yo, so I figured I'd check out this board too.

Anyways, I just wanted to comment briefly on your question about why the flu vaccine isn't given to infants under 6mos old. My dad's a pharmacist and I asked him this same exact question, because I was like "if it's not ok for a baby less than 6mos to get it, how is it ok for an unborn baby to get it?" His response is that it has to do with the baby's immune system not being well developed outside the womb until the baby is around 6mos old. I think that's why they give other vaccines in series when they're 2mos old, 4mos, etc. Anyways, from how I understood what he told me, their immune systems aren't developed enough for their bodies to build antibodies well to a vaccine until then. When they're in the uterus, somehow the mother's able to pass the antibodies that her body makes on to the baby. Hope that made sense. It's kind of late here & I need to go back to bed. :)

I've done a lot of reading on this too, and I'm not saying that I am comfortable with the vaccine (which might not even matter considering no one around here has it anyway).

But I did just read two facts I had not read before. One is that the H1N1 strain would have been included in the seasonal flu shot this year had it been identified in time. Next year it will be included. As you know they change the seasonal flu vaccine every year too, so I'm not sure if you are comfortable with that vaccine either.

There is a thimerosal free version for pregnant women provided you can find it. Yesterday I read the amount of mercury in the vaccine is less than the amount in a tuna sandwich.

Again, I'm not saying there aren't dangers. I'm just including some of the more recent information I've stumbled across recently. I haven't decided if I'm going to get it yet either.

I've done a lot of reading on this too, and I'm not saying that I am comfortable with the vaccine (which might not even matter considering no one around here has it anyway).

But I did just read two facts I had not read before. One is that the H1N1 strain would have been included in the seasonal flu shot this year had it been identified in time. Next year it will be included. As you know they change the seasonal flu vaccine every year too, so I'm not sure if you are comfortable with that vaccine either.

There is a thimerosal free version for pregnant women provided you can find it. Yesterday I read the amount of mercury in the vaccine is less than the amount in a tuna sandwich.

Again, I'm not saying there aren't dangers. I'm just including some of the more recent information I've stumbled across recently. I haven't decided if I'm going to get it yet either.

Thank you for your response.I live in California and Thimerosal is banned here. From what I understand. I have already received the regular flu shot from my OB/GYN (without the Thimerosal).I recently read a post from a nurse who received the H1N1 vaccine. The doctors that she works with highly suggested it and with her profession, she has reason to be concerned. She is pregnant as well. Her post stated that she is concerned now that she has begun researching the vaccine. It contains many 'scary' ingredients like squalene which could effect bone development. I am in my 17th week of pregnancy and this is the week where the bone development begins in my baby. So if I was to have the H1N1, I can't help but wonder what kind of effect that would or could have on my baby.By next year, enough research and testing will be done and the vaccine will have a year to show its ugly head if it was to have a problem. By then, some people may show signs of something that was caused by the vaccine. It will be safer to have the vaccine after it has been around for awhile.For those who do receive the regular flu shot with mercury..even that small dose, then they go on to receive the H1N1 with mercury...still is too much mercury for a itty bitty developing baby.I really wish that the news would stop telling us how many people died from the H1N1 and not saying a word about the regular flu. Again, no one is telling us how this shot will effect our babies. Maybe it is safer for someone in their 8th month to receive it then it is for someone in their 4th month.Again thank you for your response. This seems to be the subject on everyone's mind these days.

Thank you for your response.I live in California and Thimerosal is banned here. From what I understand. I have already received the regular flu shot from my OB/GYN (without the Thimerosal).I recently read a post from a nurse who received the H1N1 vaccine. The doctors that she works with highly suggested it and with her profession, she has reason to be concerned. She is pregnant as well. Her post stated that she is concerned now that she has begun researching the vaccine. It contains many 'scary' ingredients like squalene which could effect bone development. I am in my 17th week of pregnancy and this is the week where the bone development begins in my baby. So if I was to have the H1N1, I can't help but wonder what kind of effect that would or could have on my baby.By next year, enough research and testing will be done and the vaccine will have a year to show its ugly head if it was to have a problem. By then, some people may show signs of something that was caused by the vaccine. It will be safer to have the vaccine after it has been around for awhile.For those who do receive the regular flu shot with mercury..even that small dose, then they go on to receive the H1N1 with mercury...still is too much mercury for a itty bitty developing baby.I really wish that the news would stop telling us how many people died from the H1N1 and not saying a word about the regular flu. Again, no one is telling us how this shot will effect our babies. Maybe it is safer for someone in their 8th month to receive it then it is for someone in their 4th month.Again thank you for your response. This seems to be the subject on everyone's mind these days.

We have alot of H1N1 in the area and it is deadly to small children - as soon as I can get the vaccine I will do it. (I am at the end of my pregnancy too, so that helps.) We are actually still finding it difficult to get the regular flu shot here - very annoying!

We have alot of H1N1 in the area and it is deadly to small children - as soon as I can get the vaccine I will do it. (I am at the end of my pregnancy too, so that helps.) We are actually still finding it difficult to get the regular flu shot here - very annoying!

I would have to say I tend to agree with you, anything produced and shovelled out that quickly could not have had adequate testing no matter what the media line is that they expect us to swallow. The fact is there have been about as many deaths from regular influenza as there have been from H1N1 and most were in people who already had compromized immune systems (diseases, elderly... and yes a few pregnant people and young people... but most of them had other health issues also). Chances are if you are a really healthy person your risk would be about average with the rest of the population.

I would also question the safetly for a developing baby vs. one that is near term. The other problem is that for those of us getting close to delivery (3 weeks)... there isn't time for it to do any good for the baby. They claim it takes about 2 weeks on average before it is effective... but if the baby comes early.. or the injections aren't available until after you have your baby, then there is no chance to pass immunity or protection to the baby. There is no form of the vaccine safe for infants under 6 months... which again.. makes me question how safe it is for an unborn infant.. even after being processed through mom and the placenta... ???

A HIGH CAUTION: Be SURE you DO NOT use the nasal spray form... this is NOT safe for pregnant women - it contains a LIVE though weakened form of the virus... it is not safe for young children or expecting mothers... and it is not recommended for sick or elderly people either. If you can't get the injection... don't even bother.

Make sure if you do receive the shot... it is thimerisol free... and has KILLED virus... not live in the manufacture....

As for me.. I don't think we're even going to have it available in our area before I deliver... so, I doubt I will risk it afterward either.

For me personally, I would rather see stats on how babies and mothers fared who have actually used it and what the outcome was...

Like the Gardasil vaccine for Cervical Cancer... which they are now finding has caused DEATH in young women by the 3rd dose... there are horror stories all over the news and internet of healthy teens becoming disabled or dying from complications of the series of 3 shots... there was not enough testing before they pushed it at the public...

I would have to say I tend to agree with you, anything produced and shovelled out that quickly could not have had adequate testing no matter what the media line is that they expect us to swallow. The fact is there have been about as many deaths from regular influenza as there have been from H1N1 and most were in people who already had compromized immune systems (diseases, elderly... and yes a few pregnant people and young people... but most of them had other health issues also). Chances are if you are a really healthy person your risk would be about average with the rest of the population.

I would also question the safetly for a developing baby vs. one that is near term. The other problem is that for those of us getting close to delivery (3 weeks)... there isn't time for it to do any good for the baby. They claim it takes about 2 weeks on average before it is effective... but if the baby comes early.. or the injections aren't available until after you have your baby, then there is no chance to pass immunity or protection to the baby. There is no form of the vaccine safe for infants under 6 months... which again.. makes me question how safe it is for an unborn infant.. even after being processed through mom and the placenta... ???

A HIGH CAUTION: Be SURE you DO NOT use the nasal spray form... this is NOT safe for pregnant women - it contains a LIVE though weakened form of the virus... it is not safe for young children or expecting mothers... and it is not recommended for sick or elderly people either. If you can't get the injection... don't even bother.

Make sure if you do receive the shot... it is thimerisol free... and has KILLED virus... not live in the manufacture....

As for me.. I don't think we're even going to have it available in our area before I deliver... so, I doubt I will risk it afterward either.

For me personally, I would rather see stats on how babies and mothers fared who have actually used it and what the outcome was...

Like the Gardasil vaccine for Cervical Cancer... which they are now finding has caused DEATH in young women by the 3rd dose... there are horror stories all over the news and internet of healthy teens becoming disabled or dying from complications of the series of 3 shots... there was not enough testing before they pushed it at the public...

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